Low Carbon Living is about making lifestyle choices that embrace every aspect
of your daily life. No matter when you are at home, at office or on the move,
you may use the easier-than-you-think tips here to reduce your carbon footprint.
The solutions here do not necessitate blood, sweat and tears-even the leisurely
flip of a light switch can slim down your carbon profile. It should make you
proud.

Let There Be (Better) Lights!

Switch to compact fluorescent lights: lighting accounts for about 15 percent
of domestic electricity use in Hong Kong. CFLs use about a third the energy
of incandescent bulbs.Each replaced bulb will save an average of 50 kg CO2
per year. If CFLsare not compatible with your lighting, consider installing
a dimmer switch.

Take a Stand against Standby - Opt for "OFF"

Standby may seem harmless—but the “green button” is not
green. TVs, air-conditioners and computers left on standby burn energy. 6
percent of electricty used in homes is consumed by appliances left on standby.
Turn things off when not in use. An average family can save up to 100kg of
CO2 per year choosing OFF.

LESS AC

Turn up your air conditioning thermostat - each degree equals a 3-10 percent
reduction in electricity. Air conditioning consumes about 30 percent of Hong
Kong's total electricty-and this number doubles in the summer. If you don't
have a thermostat, consider getting one installed, and replace the filter
regularly.

Go Green when you Clean

When using your washing machine, dryer or dishwasher, make sure that they
are are fully loaded. By fully loading your dishwasher your will save, on
average, 100 kg of CO2 per year.

Practice Heater Restraint

Showers account for 2/3 of the hot water consumed by households. If you have
to temper your hot shower with cold water consider turning your thermostat
down. Reducing the temperature of your water heater from 60°C to 49°C
will save 200 kg CO2. per year

Let your Fridge Chill Out

Help your refrigerator to stay cool by placing it in cool spot. Allow hot
food to come to room temperature before putting it in the fridge. Clear clutter
from the top of the fridge and defrost it regularly. You can cut about 300
kg of CO2 per year by treating your fridge well.

Buy appliances with an Energy Label

Shop for energy efficient appliances. This is a straightforward solution,
but it can get complicated in Hong Kong, where the current mandatory
energy labelling scheme only covers three appliances (air conditioners,
CFLs and refrigerators). What other options are available?

Reuse, Reduce, Recycle

Reuse
ditch paper cups and get your morning brew in a mug. Transform old clothes
into new ones, or donate those 80s relics to the needy.. Justify that pile
of plastic bags accumulating in your kitchen by grabbing a few the next time
you head to the grocery store.

Reduce
Cut down on gift wrapping paper. Use handkerchiefs rather than tissues. To
avoid buying unnecessary products, think twice before shopping. It is environmentally
friendly and can save your money. To reduce consume of plastic bags, bring
your own bags. Send any unwanted electrical appliances, computers, toys and
clothing to charity groups.

Recycle
Start with cans and paper. Separate them. Use the recycling bins in your neighbourhood.
Buying recycled goods and increasing home recycling by 10 percent saves the
average household up to 90 kg CO2 per year.

Walk more

The switch from driving to walking reduces not only CO2 emissions but possibly
your pant size as well…

Eat green

Improve your health (and the environment) by eating vegetables. Reduce the amount of red meat in your diet. Cows, sheep and goats emit powerful greenhouse gases. A kilo of beef produces 5 kg of CO2 equivalent. Eating meat-free meals every other day spares about 200kg of carbon per year.